Questions and
Answers

What is the goal of National Men's
Health Week?

The purpose of National Men's Health Week is to raise
national awareness among society and especially among men, of the importance of preventive
health behavior in the early detection and treatment of health problems affecting men.

What is the date of National Men's
Health Week?

National Men's Health Week is held the week
leading up to and including Father's Day, June 9-15 2003. By holding it
during the period that men receive the greatest attention and focus in
our society, we are able to reach the greatest number of men and their
families.

What specific health issues will be
the focus of National Men's Health Week?

By focusing on both gender and non-gender specific issues
and the importance of a preventive health approach to these issues, society can reduce the
risk and incidence of these problems among all individuals.

How can one week make a difference?

When the problems of women's breast cancer and its rising
rates became apparent over the past several years, the designation of October as National
Breast Cancer Awareness Month enabled a broad coalition of health organizations,
associations, individual groups and the media to focus on the vital role that simple steps
such as breast self-exams can play in preventing this deadly disease. As a result, more
women than ever before are taking steps to detect and treat breast cancer at its earliest
stages.

By developing an entire week on the broad range of health
issues affecting men, and ultimately their families, National Men's Health Week attempts
to achieve the same positive behavioral changes among men that are already being
undertaken by women.

What types of changes are
envisioned?

One simple change would be encouraging men to take as active
a role as women do in regularly visiting their physician for basic treatment and
examinations. The rate of male mortality could significantly be reduced if we could
encourage men to seek treatment before symptoms have reached a critical stage.

For example, while individuals such as Bob Dole are alive
today because they sought early care, others such as Muppet creator Jim Henson and
Time-Warner chair Steve Ross waited far too long for medical advice.

Will women benefit from National
Men's Health Week?

Despite all the advances in medical science over the past
decades, the basic fact remains that women outlive men, on average, by seven years.

For many women, especially the elderly, this means nearly a
decade of life without the support and care of their spouses. Not only does this create
heavy emotional burdens, it increases their risk for health problems associated with
living alone such as depression and suicide, as well as fueling the financial burden to
society of caring for elderly parents living alone.

Groups such as the Commonwealth Fund have documented the
enormous impact that this care places on the individual, their families and our society as
a whole. An impact that could be severely lessened if we could increase the lifespan of
men by just a couple of years.

How will society learn about
National Men's Health Week?

Men and their families will be the focus of a national
education campaign by the media and grass roots organizations aimed at increasing their
awareness of National Men's Health Week and its goals.